1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to computer systems and methods for planning and organizing events, and more specifically to an event planning system providing an interface allowing a user, that is an event planner, to organize events and manage information associated with the events.
2. Description of the Prior Art
With the advent of computer networking, many different types of scheduling applications have been developed to allow network users and managers to share information indicative of scheduled events and associated time information. Such applications have been primarily developed for use by groups of users (e.g., employees of a corporation) sharing a local area network wherein all of the users communicate with each other using identical, or substantially similar, application programs running on substantially similar computer platforms. As an example Novell, Inc. developed a scheduling application called GROUPWISE. However such systems require execution of custom software on each computer, specialized hardware, and often operate within limited proscribed network environments. As another example, Microsoft Outlook provides for Email communications wherein a first user running Outlook can send an invitation to a second user running Outlook, the invitation requesting that the second user respond to the invitation. Outlook and GROUPWISE provide many useful functions for facilitating the scheduling of planned events. However, such systems fall far short of fulfilling a need in the art for technology that coordinates myriad schedules, and facilitates event planning with people in disparate locations, time zones, and computing environments.
Another problem associated with conventional event planning systems is that no functions are provided for assisting an event planner in financing the planned event. In many cases, event planners are not able to finance an event (i.e., paying fees for the venue, goods, and services associated with the planned event) without soliciting and receiving RSVP fees from invited guests before the event takes place. Particularly in the case of large and costly events, the tasks associated with planning an event can be very difficult and very time consuming. Such event planning tasks include planning the event, identifying and contracting with venue providers and vendors for the event, inviting guests, soliciting RSVP fees from invitees who respond affirmatively, receiving the RSVP fees, tracking RSVP status of each invited guest, tracking and managing RSVP accounts generated by the RSVP fees, and sending guest reminders. None of the prior art scheduling systems referred to above provide any functions for these event planning tasks.
What is needed is an event planning system that obviates the need for special software programs to be purchased by end users, and which allows end users to read invitations in any computing environment.
What is also needed is an event planning system providing an interface allowing an event planner to organize events and manage information associated with the events wherein the event planner and at least some of the invitees communicate via disparate data hosts running on disparate computer platforms.
What is further needed is an event planning system that facilitates event planning tasks including planning an event, identifying and contracting with venue providers and vendors for the event, inviting guests, soliciting RSVP fees from invitees who respond affirmatively, receiving the RSVP fees, tracking RSVP status of each invited guest, tracking and managing RSVP accounts generated by the RSVP fees, and sending guest reminders.